[Rob112586]

No, we need to euthanize 80% of the world’s population. </s>

[Always Right]

The obvious solution is if all the liberals who are so concerned about overpopulation would just leave the problem would be solved.

[bajabaja]

20 years ago the world was going to collapse from the “population bomb.” That is now downgraded to the “middle class explosion” — so we should take comfort that the worst crisis the Los Angeles times (intentionally lower case) can muster is too many “un-poor.”

[infidel29]

So, if there's upward mobility in the economic classes across the world, what is Obama's senate bill about then?

You know the one that would cost us .07% (about $90Bil) of our GDP anually and be administered by the UN... the one that gets voted on tomorrow...

[Red6]

The socialist mind at work.

You can’t explain the world with the “conflict theory” and that is what feminists, socialists and others attempts to do. These people believe ultimately that one group can be on top only because it holds another group down, and so flows the reasoning out of this article. Complete utter BS from the mind of an idiot that read to much Marx.

[rabscuttle385]

If the liberals are all for social equality and increased prosperity, as they claim to be, then why does the headline ominously read "Can the world afford a growing middle class?"

The answer is, yes it can. Humans use mathematics, science, and technology (more generally, reason and rational thought) to improve the quality and the quantity of life for everyone. Unfortunately, the liberals tend to be a few cents short of a dollar in this area.

[Chgogal]

1) Thank you USA, for buying all these goods from all these poor countries.

2) Curse the USA for buying all these goods from all these poor countries allowing the workers to join the middle class and giving them the opportunity to buy scooters, cars, refrigerators, TVs, computers,....

3) LATimes goes bankrupt, and all its employees join the rank of poor. Thank you US readers for.....

[Woodman]

So let me get this straight. The ability to afford to purchase food instead of begging or being fed by others is a bad thing?

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Is success tolerable?

[Young Scholar]

Argentina, China, Egypt, Venezuela and Russia are among the nations that have imposed controls on food prices in an attempt to contain a public backlash.

Good luck bringing half your population into the middle class with that kind of economic policy.

[hedgetrimmer]

I wonder why you posted this article.

[onedoug]

If we win The War, the world will be a much brighter place. If we don’t it will be the opposite.

[Ditto]

This sounds like the Democrats of a 150 years ago...

"We need our slaves."

[hedgetrimmer]

I wonder why you posted this article.

[melsec]

Can the world afford a growing middle class?

What a stupid question. We cannot afford to not have a growing middle class.

Mel

[jwalburg]

"placing greater demand on food supplies and natural resources"

And all this time I thought ethanol was the culprit.

[jmyrlefuller]

They neglect to mention that as the middle class grows, birth rates drop.

[Mike Darancette]

Can the world afford a growing middle class?

Considering that by 2030, China's CO2 emissions may equal that of the entire world today I would say that the answer is a big no.

[Eleutheria5]

Bring back communism! That’ll stop all this prosperity!